ABSTRACT

A significant proportion of the world’s population lives or works in buildings that may be classified as low-strength masonry buildings. This class of buildings has always suffered significant damage during destructive earthquakes over the past fifty years and beyond. A great deal of observed damage data about the performance and behavior of low-strength masonry buildings has been accumulated over the past many decades. The state of knowledge of the performance and behavior of low-strength buildings during earthquakes has also progressed a great deal. Despite these advances in the state of knowledge there is a need for practical and cost-effective approaches to mitigating the damage that are still observed in this class of buildings during earthquakes. It is suggested that funicular forms and architectural configuration based approaches may help in providing improved lateral resistance and behavior of low-strength masonry buildings during earthquakes, (Rihal & Edmisten 1986). The hierarchy and classification of masonry structural forms for roof and wall systems, as well as historical strengthening techniques were analyzed. The results of an effort to investigate the correlation between structural forms and configuration; and observed earthquake damage were also presented by Rihal and Edmisten (1986).